Jala nodded and watched as the small company of knights began stabling their own mounts. Even with the amount of soldiers she had brought, there looked as though there would be plenty of room to secure their mounts either in the stable itself or the fields beyond.
“Bridgette, help settle the others that are unfamiliar with Arovan, and select a few riders to go on scout patrols in the morning,” Valor called as the woman finished tending to her horse.
“As you say, commander,” Bridgette responded with a quick bow of her head. Turning, the woman left the stables, barking orders by the time the doors closed behind her.
“You can go on into the house, Jala. I’ll be in shortly,” Valor said quietly as he pulled the saddle from Neph’s mare.
Nodding, Jala walked past him and paused at the far end of the stable, her eyes on the horse that stood in the shadows there. She had missed it when they first entered. The animal raised its head slightly and watched her and she realized with a start that it was an Arovanni. The only other one she had seen other than Valorous.
“Well, it looks like at least one other person is here,” Neph said quietly as he stopped beside her and stared at the horse.
Jala nodded slightly, her eyes locked on the horse. Something about the creature made goose bumps rise on her arms.
“That’s Rage. Though he hasn’t lived up to his name in years. He was my sister’s horse,” Valor explained as he paused beside them.
“Chastity had a horse named Rage?” Jala asked in shock. The woman she had met in Sanctuary had been calm and logical. She doubted the woman even knew the definition of rage. Even when Chastity had been dueling Valor in the Darklands she had been composed.
Valor shook his head as he opened a door just beyond the Arovanni stalls. “My older sister. She died before I was born. Her name was Tempest. According to the stories, Rage brought her body home after she fell in battle against Seravae and he has stood there ever since. Some of the small folk claim he is waiting for Tempest to be reborn. Personally I think he is lost without her and doesn’t know what else to do beyond wait where she always left him,” Valor explained, then nodded through the door. “Come on. I’ll show you a picture of her on the way to the kitchens.”
With a final glance at the Arovanni, Jala nodded and climbed the stairs. The lights of the house flickered to life as Valor walked down the hall, illuminating the countless paintings and tapestries that lined the walls. Jala stared at each one as they passed, wishing she had time to stop and admire the work. She wasn’t in Arovan to sightsee, however, and Valor was right, food and a bath did sound very good.
“I knew you were spoiled, Valor. I just never realized how spoiled,” Neph said quietly as they emerged into a vast entry hall that was lined on either side with ornate suits of armor.
Valor ignored the comment and motioned to one of the suits of armor near the front of the hall. “That’s her armor. There is a painting of her above it and a story telling a bit about her life below that. Feel free to look around. I will be in the kitchen which is down the left hall if you need me. If you would like a bath, there is a transport at the back of the hall beside the staircase. Stand in the circle of runes and touch the third rune with your foot. That will take you to the family quarters. Jala, take the room at the end of that hall. Neph, take the room to the left of hers,” Valor said as he continued to walk toward the back of the hall.
Jala watched him disappear into the hallway and moved closer to the indicated armor. The woman in the painting wore plate mail and had a fierce expression on her beautiful face. Her hands were folded around the pommel of an ornate sword and Jala’s eyes fixated on the weapon. She had seen the sword before, countless times as Valor fought back the denizens of the Darklands. The last time she had seen it was when he had handed it to her in Death’s throne room. Closing her eyes slowly she rubbed her temples as she realized the entirety of her folly when she had dropped the sword. Valor had never complained or even bothered to mention that it was a family heirloom that she had so carelessly lost. Turning, she let her gaze drop to the two Bendazzi who sat in silence behind her. “I feel like such an ass now,” Jala whispered to them, hoping Neph couldn’t overhear her
It’s a sword that you left behind. I think he was more focused on the fact that you saved his sister’s soul than concerned about the weapon, Marrow assured her.
The sound of his voice in her mind was comforting. Since Emily had discovered her Bendazzi form Marrow talked less and less directly to her. It was only when Jala was in dire need of counsel that he chose to speak up and she missed the frequent links they had once shared.
Ahh. Yes. You are so neglected by me, Marrow chided her gently, and Jala rolled her eyes in response.
With a shake of her head, Jala crossed the room toward the staircase, glancing at Neph as she walked. “Bath time for me. I haven’t had a decent hot bath since Merro and I’ve almost forgotten what warm water feels like after the countless dunks I’ve had in rivers while we marched.”
Neph nodded and turned back to study the armor, his gaze holding more interest than she would have expected from him, given the subject. The Delvay had never made any secret of how little he thought of the Knights of Arovan. Jala watched the two Bendazzi stalk from the room in the direction of Valor and the kitchens and smiled faintly. Emily and Marrow had quite a bit in common, but their love for food was foremost.
She located the rune circle Valor had described easily and stepped into the circle. Glancing down she studied the countless runes and shook her head at the thought of living in a house so large you had to use magical transport to navigate through it easily. Sliding her foot forward she pressed down on the third rune as Valor had said and felt the transport magic wash over her.
Blinking she looked up and down the wide hallway. Paintings lined these walls as well, but they were family portraits. Slowly she walked down the hall toward the last door, her eyes roving over images of the Hai’dia children at various ages. A smile still on her lips, she opened the door to her assigned room and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
The mage lights flickered on as she turned and she stared for a long moment at the sheer size of it. The bed alone was bigger than her bedroom in Merro. A large cabinet covered most of one wall and various pieces of fine furniture lined the remainder of the room. Her eyes moved from the ornate dressing table to the practical desk that sat to one side of the bed. His parent’s room, she realized as she noticed the two very different tastes that had decorated the chamber.
Within minutes of exploring she had discovered the bathtub which reminded her more of a swimming pool. To her relief the rune to summon the water was the same one used in Sanctuary. Stepping back she began to strip her armor off as the tub filled and let out a sigh. It was hard to truly enjoy the splendor of the house when she didn’t know if anyone but Valor still survived to claim it.
Opening her eyes slowly, Jala shivered and sat up in the water. Blinking, she looked around in confusion until the memory of where she was returned. The water had gone cold and she shivered as she climbed from the bathtub, silently scolding herself for being stupid enough to fall asleep. That would have been a death that would have amused Neph to no end. She survived the war, but drowned in the bathtub. The thought left her shaking her head with disgust.
Jala reached for a towel and her eyes fell on her travel stained clothes and armor. She could clean them with magic easy enough, but the thought of wearing the heavy clothes once more was not appealing. With a quick spell she summoned a robe and slipped it on. The light silk was comforting after the wool dresses Jexon had insisted on and the armor that she had taken to wearing again near the end of the campaign with Avanti.
The room beyond was silent as Jala stepped from the bathroom. With a heavy sigh she gazed around the empty space and her eyes stopped on the silver tray on the table. She moved closer and lifted the lid to examine the assortment of food. Plucking a piece of meat from the tray she took a bite and
chewed slowly as she looked around the chamber once more. The sheer size of the room made her feel more alone than she had since she was a child. Carefully, she covered the plate once more and headed for the door, finishing the meat as she crossed the room.
The hall beyond was black but she could see light faintly from under a door a short way down the hall. Quickly, Jala padded barefoot across the plush carpet and slowly pushed the door open a crack. Peeking inside, she spotted Valor seated on the foot of a bed turning a small wooden sword over in his hands. By the expression on his face he was lost in thought and hadn’t even heard the door open. As silently as she could, Jala slipped through the door and closed it behind her. She paused, amazed that he still hadn’t noticed her presence and looked around the room. Trophies lined the shelves along one wall while the rest of the room was lined with various objects ranging from broken weapons to carved figures. Glancing back at Valor, she cleared her throat and smiled widely at the wide eyed expression that crossed his face.
“I almost got lost in the room you assigned me. Do you happen to have a map of it so I can find my way out in the morning?” Jala teased quietly.
Valor smiled and shook his head slowly. “If you aren’t out of there by lunch, I’ll send in a team of scouts to locate you,” he promised.
Moving slowly, Jala crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed beside him. Leaning over, she examined the wooden sword more closely, noticing the worn polish on the hilt.
Valor hefted it with one hand and smiled. “Honor made it for me when I was little. I was thinking I might take it back to Merro. In a few years, Legacy will be able to bruise some shins with it,” he explained as he lowered the toy sword once more.
“I’m sure he is fine, Val,” Jala said softly. The expression of concern had been fleeting when he spoke his brother’s name, but she had caught it.
“I’m not sure if any of them are fine, honestly, Jala. On a clear night such as this we should be able to see the lights of Amdany lighting the sky to the east. It is nothing but darkness in the east. Amdany is the largest city in the south. I can’t even imagine the thought of evacuating that place,” Valor said as he tossed the sword lightly onto the floor near his travel packs.
“We will find them,” Jala promised and leaned on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen for a moment and then relax. Tilting her head upward she watched his face and smiled when he glanced down at her. His expression softened and the lines of worry faded. The silence stretched between them and Jala closed her eyes, simply content with his company. “Valor.” Her voice was barely a whisper when she finally spoke.
“Hmm?” His voice sounded as content as her own and she opened her eyes to gaze up at him.
“I don’t want to stay in that room alone,” Jala said quietly, her eyes watching the expression on his face carefully. A look of surprise crossed his features, followed by one of disbelief. She smiled again as he continued to stare at her. “But I can if you keep looking at me like that,” she added.
The expression vanished from his face instantly and he shook his head quickly. “No, it’s just…” His voice trailed off and Valor snorted in amusement. “I’m not thinking quite as clearly tonight as I normally do. I was about to offer you another room until it dawned on me what you were saying,” he admitted with a heavy sigh and rubbed his face. “I was saying that I want to stay with you tonight,” Jala pressed, her eyes watching him closely for any signs of hesitation. “I can’t look at you as a friend anymore, Valor. You are so much more to me than that,” she added in a softer voice.
“I haven’t thought of you as just a friend in a very long time,” Valor admitted softly. He looked over at her with a faint smile and shook his head slowly. “I had just convinced myself that you were never going to share the same sentiments.”
“I didn’t know what it meant,” Jala said as her hand rose to touch the black earring he wore. Her fingers trailed past the earring to brush gently through his hair. “I wish I hadn’t been so thick. I was blind to everything but protecting Merro.”
“It’s OK, Jala,” Valor said, his dark blue eyes watching her. “You did what you had to. At first I was angry that you turned to Seravae rather than Arovan, but after what I’ve seen here, you made the right choice. I didn’t realize Arovan had nothing left to give.”
Tracing her fingers slowly down to his cheek, Jala leaned forward to kiss him. She felt her pulse quicken as Valor leaned into the kiss, his arm moving behind her to pull her closer. Pulling back, she stared into his eyes and saw her own feelings mirrored in the dark blue depths. “I love you,” Jala whispered as she moved closer, sliding her leg across him to straddle his lap. Gently she wrapped her arms around his neck and settled back, her weight resting lightly on his knees.
Valor’s gaze flicked down to where her robe had fallen open in the front and she felt him tense again. With painful slowness he slid his hands beneath her robe to rest lightly on her hips. “I have forced myself not to say those words to you for so long, it almost feels wrong to speak them now,” Valor said, his voice low. His thumb moved in slow circles across her skin, tracing a circle around her hip bone.
“You don’t need to speak them, Val. I can see it written on your face so clearly now that I’m looking for it that I find myself wondering how I never noticed it before.” Jala leaned closer and pressed her lips gently to his, but he didn’t return it as he had before. Pulling back she studied his face. His expression was a mixture of desire and trepidation. Raising an eyebrow, Jala waited for him to speak.
“Usually at this point of the dream, I either wake up or it takes a turn for nightmares and I end up on trial for rape again,” Valor said, leaning back and rubbing his face.
Nodding slowly, Jala slid a hand down his shoulder, tracing the muscles of his arm and pinched him hard. Flinching, he stared at her with a dumbfounded expression. “You aren’t dreaming,” Jala informed him with a smile. Slowly, she pushed him flat onto the bed and rolled to the side, resting her head on his shoulder. “We don’t have to do anything but sleep tonight. I’m content simply being close to you,” Jala assured him closing her eyes.
“To hell with that,” Valor whispered as he rolled onto his side, his lips finding hers once more. Jala rose to meet him, her eyes closing as his hand slid to the small of her back, pulling her closer. Her hands tugged at his shirt until she could slide them beneath to press against his bare skin. Pulling back, he shrugged out of the tunic and tossed it behind him to the floor before leaning down to kiss her again.
Her fingers traced across the hard muscles of his back and down his side to rest on the scar on his stomach. “I love you,” Jala repeated, her voice a hoarse whisper as his lips moved to her neck. Closing her eyes once more, Jala pulled at the laces on his pants as his hands moved across her body. Her breath was coming in short rasps as all thoughts faded and she could feel his urgency rising to match her own. For now, nothing mattered to either of them beyond each other. All the stress and frustration of the world beyond was forgotten.
Pale sunlight washed across her from the cloudless sky. Turning slowly, Jala searched for War. The land around her was familiar and she could feel her emotions rising as her eyes scanned the rolling hills of Merro. Below her she could see the small town that Neph had built. The paint was still bright on the walls of the newly-built houses. “You only show me ruins, Grandfather. Are you telling me that my home is gone again? That it fell in my absence?” Jala called as she tried to force herself back to calm. She knew if she panicked, the dream would fade.
“I didn’t choose this setting. He did,” War’s voice was gentle beside her and she turned to face him. He hadn’t been there a moment before and neither had the small boy playing in the grass before him.
“Legacy,” Jala gasped as her eyes locked on her son. It was him she was certain of it, but he seemed so big. When she had sent him into hiding with Sovann he had just begun to walk and now he looked near Devony’s age. His tanned body was wiry and she could
see so much of Finn in him as he chopped at the grass before him with a stick.
Legacy turned and smiled up at his mother, his violet eyes flashing with delight. “Momma!” His childish voice rose to nearly a squeal as he dropped the stick and sprinted toward her. “Grandpa said you would be here tonight. I told him to make it Merro that we played in because you always talk about going home,” Legacy informed her, the words bubbling from him in a happy stream.
Jala felt her throat tighten and she smiled down at her son. “You play with Grandpa often?” she asked, her gaze flicking to War then back to her son.
“Every night,” Legacy answered, his smile wide. “Usually we go to boring places, though, and he makes me remember things about them. Not tonight, though. Tonight, he says we do nothing but play.” His tone had been a bit petulant at first but rose to happiness once more as he wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head against her hip. “I miss you, Momma. When are we going home?” Legacy asked softly.
Jala pressed her hand gently against the back of his head and ran her fingers lightly through his dark red hair. “Soon, Love. I have to fight just a bit longer. I can’t leave the world the way it stands or we will never be safe,” she whispered, her eyes rising to War once more, the questions evident on her face.
“I visit him nightly, Jala. I don’t want Lutheron to have power from this one,” War said softly, his expression softening to a smile as he gazed down at Legacy. “He is an exceptional child. So clever and so much like you in spirit. He is stubborn and has his mother’s firm views on what is wrong in this world.”
“Grandpa was showing me all of the cities that are gone now, Momma. He said that if you don’t finish what you are doing Merro could join them,” Legacy’s voice faltered a bit and he pulled back to gaze up at her as if hoping she would tell him otherwise.
“He is right, Legacy,” Jala said gently, wishing she could deny the truth. “Our world is so broken that if someone doesn’t fix, it we will never know peace.”
The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 3 From the Ashes Page 53
